By Paula McLaren BA (Hons) Early Years Development & Learning •
Updated: 05/02/23 •
Dinner is the start of your toddler’s bedtime routine… So it is important to get the timing right. But what time should a toddler eat dinner at?
- “Is 4pm too early?”
- “Does lunch affect when my toddler has dinner?”
- “We eat our family meals at 6pm… is this too late for our toddler?”
Well, here’s all you need to know about feeding little toddlers to avoid pre-dinner hunger meltdowns and post-dinner hyper bedtime antics.
What Time Should A Toddler Eat Dinner?
Your toddler’s ideal dinnertime is all about how old they are, when they have lunch and when they go to bed. Usually, your toddler should have their dinner between 4.30pm and 6pm.
How Long Before Bed Should A Toddler Eat Dinner?
When thinking about what time should a toddler eat dinner… we want to ensure our toddler has digested their food before they go to sleep to avoid tummy troubles or getting hyper before bed.
So dinner should be served between 2-3 hours before bed as this leaves plenty of time for food to go down, energy to be worn off and for a calm bedtime routine to be implemented.
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How Long After Lunch Should A Toddler Eat Dinner?
A great rule of thumb is that toddlers should eat dinner 4 hours after lunch, with a healthy snack midway between.
So by working backwards, lunch would be served around 12.30pm to 1pm.
TOP TIP: Young toddlers still have little tummies and burn through their energy very quickly, so you may find your little one gets hungry and needs healthy food every 2-3 hours.
What Is My Toddler’s Ideal Dinner Time?
Answring “What time should a toddler eat dinner?” will depend on your child’s age and meal schedule throughout the day:
- Younger toddlers will most likely have an early dinner separate from the family except for weekends.
- However, older toddlers will be moving towards eating their evening meal with the rest of the family at the dining table.
So, here are some toddler feeding schedules to get you started:
Dinner Time For 1-Year-Old
Your one-year-old toddler is still very young and needs to be in bed by 6.30-7pm so their last meal of the day is still going to be earlier than the rest of the family would probably like to eat.
Their daily meal schedule and snack times leading up to supper should look something like this:
- Breakfast: 8am
- Morning Snack: 10am
- Lunch: 12pm
- Afternoon Snack: 2pm
- Dinner: 4.30pm
Dinner Time For 2-Year-Old
By 2 years old, your toddler can manage to eat a little later and is working towards eating the evening meal full of a variety of foods with the rest of the family.
However, it is absolutely fine for them to eat before you as long as you sit with them and remain engaged.
- Breakfast: 7.30am
- Morning Snack: 10.30am
- Lunch: 12.00-12.30pm
- Afternoon Snack: 2.30pm
- Dinner: 5pm
REMEMBER: Knowing what time should a toddler eat dinner can fluctuate with what has been happening in their day, how active they have been, and if they are suffering from illness or how much they have eaten throughout the day.
Dinner Time For 3-Year-Old
By three years old your toddler should be having their dinner between 5.30pm and 6pm.
You should be having family meal times at the table every night (where work schedules allow) to help your little one learn how to behave at the table, socialise, develop their language and fine motor skills and spend some quality time together as a family.
- Breakfast: 7am
- Snack: around 10am
- Lunch: 12.30-1pm
- Snack: 3pm
- Dinner: 5.30-6pm
Dinner Time For 4-Year-Old
By 4 years old your toddler can definitely eat as late as 6.30pm, but you should still be aiming to have your toddler in bed by 7.30-8pm at the very latest.
- Breakfast: 7am
- Snack: around 10am
- Lunch: 12.30-1pm
- Snack: 3pm
- Dinner: 6pm
Finally, don’t feel guilty if your younger toddler is not eating every evening meal with you. Your aim is to end up with them eating with you and getting all the benefits of the family dinnertime by the time they are 5 years old.
TOP TIP: Toddlers eat less at dinner than at any other meal so don’t worry if they do not eat much. If you are concerned that your toddler may be hungry before bedtime, it is fine to offer them a light pre-bedtime snack like a cup of milk or a piece of fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions About What Time Should A Toddler Eat Dinner
Looking for more information about what time should a toddler eat dinner? Find answers to the most common questions here.
How Many Meals Should A Toddler Eat A Day?
Toddlers should eat three meals a day, along with two or three snacks.
What Should A Toddler Eat For Dinner?
Toddlers should eat a balanced dinner that includes protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates. Examples could be grilled chicken, sweet potato, roasted vegetables, and brown rice.
Should A Toddler Eat Before Bed?
It’s best not to give a toddler a large meal right before bed, but a small snack is perfectly okay. Examples could be a piece of fruit or some crackers with cheese.
Can Toddlers Eat Late For Special Occasions?
While it’s generally recommended that toddlers eat dinner at a consistent time each day, it’s okay to make exceptions for special occasions or events.
Keep in mind that young children thrive on routine, so it’s best to try to keep the disruption to their feeding schedule to a minimum.
If you know that dinner will be served later than usual, you may want to offer your toddler a small snack to tide them over until dinner is ready.
Can My Toddler And Baby Eat At Different Times?
Yes, it’s perfectly okay for toddlers and babies to eat at different times if that works better for your family’s schedule.
Babies often need to eat more frequently and may have different feeding schedules than your toddler’s schedule. However, I would always suggest trying to have one time a day where both you, baby and toddler are sitting down and eating together.
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A bedtime & nap cheat sheet so good your little one will ask you to put them to bed...
Laura Williams "This is a life saver! I'm so glad I downloaded your bedtime & nap cheat sheet. My little one actually asked me to put him to bed last night! Unbelievable! Thank you so much!"
Click Here For The FREE Cheat Sheet
